US asks Thailand to take ‘concrete actions’ towards de-escalation with Cambodia

• Bangkok also confirms Cambodian forces shot down Thai reconnaissance drone
  
  ANKARA

The US has asked Thailand to take "concrete actions' toward de-escalation with Cambodia amid ongoing border clashes between the two Southeast Asian nations.

In a Thursday phone call with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored Washington’s concerns about continued violence along the Cambodian border and emphasized the immediate need to reduce tensions, said State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.

Rubio also urged Sihasak to take concrete actions to de-escalate the situation and for Thailand to return to implementing the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.

Separately, Thailand on Friday confirmed that Cambodian forces shot down a Thai reconnaissance drone. Defense Minister Gen. Natthaphon Narkphanit called the loss "regrettable" but unavoidable in wartime, according to the Thai Enquirer.

He added that the downed drone was a DP-20 (D-Eyes 04) surveillance drone and acknowledged that Cambodia possesses air defense weapons capable of targeting such platforms.

On Friday, Cambodia accused Thailand of firing artillery shells into a civilian area of the Banteay Meanchey province and spraying toxic gas into the area of the village of Chok Chey in the same province.

However, the Thai military has repeatedly denied targeting civilians or civilian infrastructure, saying its forces target only military objectives.

According to Thai authorities, during the ongoing clashes, 21 Thai soldiers and 16 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia’s Interior Ministry said 18 Cambodian civilians have been killed and 78 others injured.

Thousands of Cambodians also held a peace rally on Thursday urging respect for a ceasefire agreement.

The clashes have continued despite US President Donald Trump saying last week that the countries’ leaders had agreed to halt the fighting.

The two countries signed a peace agreement in October in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, but that was later suspended after Thai soldiers were seriously injured in a landmine explosion in a border province.

Thailand and Cambodia have a long-running border dispute that has repeatedly erupted into violence, including clashes in July in which at least 48 people were killed.